1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system that performs the measurement of complex Fourier coefficients of RF signals. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system that performs complex Fourier coefficient measurements of RF signals using optical processing techniques, specifically, a technique that improves on the Bragg cell optical technique so as to yield the phase parameters along with the frequency coefficient amplitude parameters of the RF signals being characterized.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital signal processing techniques are currently employed to provide complex Fourier coefficient measurements of RF signals so as to classify such RF signals. The digital signal processing techniques begin with the digitizing of the RF signal and then electronically calculating the Fourier transform which, in turn, yields the Fourier coefficients. The existing techniques that calculate complex Fourier coefficients take in the order of 300 microseconds which is relatively slow for many applications and are especially slow for dense signal environments made up of many RF signals. It is desired that the measurement of the Fourier coefficient be accomplished by faster means than digital signal processing techniques, more particularly, by optical processing techniques based on Bragg cell spectrum analysis techniques.